Then the light from the streetlamp glints against metal, flashing through the air and onto my forearm. I snarl from the pain that thunders across my flesh as I collide my own fist against his jaw. We dance around a couple more hits, but there’s nothing that will save him from me.
He’s fighting to stay alive. I’m fighting for Bella.
There’s no strategy or tact in my punches as I knock the knife out of his hand. My muscles move in pure rage. I can’t feel the pain in my arm anymore. Every hit lacks its usual thrill, and it doesn’t matter how many times I kick him or feel his bones crack, the surging, white-hot anger doesn’t dissipate.
He made Bella bleed.
He tried to take her away from me.
He hurt her.
The driver pulls me off him, but someone tackles him a second later, leaving me to continue with my assault on the man who hurt her. He reaches for the gun, but Rico grabs it before he can, going to help his brother.
I yank the man back to me by the collar of his shirt and descend my fists on any part of him I can reach. The fire isn’t doused when he’s on the ground, and I’m seconds away from killing him with my fists alone.
I put Bella at risk. I got her hurt. I failed her. I need to kill them all.
“Roman, stop!” Damien tries dragging me off. The mother fucker isn’t conscious, but I’m not finished. He needs to die for what he did. They all need to fucking pay. “Take your girl and get the hell out of here.”
My girl.
I whip around to find Bella sprawled on the ground, leaning against Rico for support.Why the fuck is he touching her?
The harsh moonlight isn’t enough to see the damage clearly, but what I can gather makes me want to keel over. Tears stream down her face, tangling with the red droplets falling from the split in her soft cheek. The delicate skin of her hands is bloody and bruised, too.
Bella is hurt, and it’s all my fault.
Bella is hurt, and it’s all my fault.
Bella is hurt, and she’s leaning on Rico.
“You’re bleeding,” Bella says to me, voice hoarse.
I’m on my feet, taking long strides toward them. “Get the fuck away from her.”
Rico leaps up, hauling Bella with him before holding up his hands. “Chill the hell out, bro.”
“I’m not yourbro. This happened because you two fuckers left her alone,” I snarl, as I pull Bella to my side. Exactly where she’s meant to be. Where she willalwaysbe.
“Stop treating me like a child,” Bella snaps and crosses her arms. Her voice lacks genuine anger with her shuddering breaths… She sounds broken instead.
Fuck.
“Not right now, Bella.”
“Fuck you, Roman,” she sneers, breath shuddering.
Roman.
She said Roman.
No.No, she wasn’t thinking about itthatway. She’s just saying the name because it’s what she calls me when she’s angry. She doesn’t want to end this.Us.
“We need to get your inhaler. If they hadn’t fucking left you alone, you wouldn’t be hurt.” She doesn’t believe my words. Neither do I.
I can’t blame them when I’m the one who should have known better. This is the second time I’ve put her in danger.
“No. This happened becauseyoubrought me here,” she cries, then steps back to cough. “And look at you.” She waves at the gash in my arm, but I don’t feel the pain.
